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How to Fail as a Popstar by Vivek Shraya – Review

Something I’ve always found excitingly daunting is jumping into a new style or genre of literature. I felt this strongly when starting Vivek Shraya’s latest book featuring her play How to Fail as a Popstar. Personally, I’ve never really felt the need to venture into reading plays because I felt as if I got my fill of that in high school, and if I desperately wanted to consume one, I could easily head into the city and get tickets to a show. But being a fan of Vivek’s work and compelled by the idea of this play, I knew I had to pick this up. And wow, am I sure glad I did!

Despite my nerves going into this piece, I immediately felt at home reading the foreword by play director Brendan Healy. I knew right there that this play would be something I highly value, and when Healy listed his three main takeaways from the play, I felt so much more eager to continue reading. 

Vivek is extremely skilled in creating a compelling narrative. The majority of this play is formed around an autobiographical telling of her experiences with wanting to become a popstar from her earliest memory of music to where she sees her ultimate failure. Music is of course a key aspect of this play as it is dotted with her original songs (much to my delight as I really love her music, check her out on Spotify), and they really added so much to the story. I particularly love the closing song, Showing Up. 

Mostly, though, this play spoke to me as a creative at a fundamental level like nothing else. Failure is never talked about in this sense. We’re told to move on, to never give up, that our failures make us stronger, but in reality a lot of us are just playing the lottery—99.9% of us are set up to fail. And that’s okay. Failing sucks, but we can mourn, learn (if we want to), and move on, and we don’t have to keep trying again and again when the odds are against us. And even if you don’t fully achieve your dreams of being that 1 in a million megastar of whatever art you do, you can still keep doing your art without striving for what, despite what our society tells us to do. 

This play says all of that in a personable, skillfully written way that is extremely compelling and keeps you hooked to the narrative. I highly recommend this book to other creatives who have struggled with failure, or really creatives in general. And really, to anyone who has dealt with any kind of failure. It’s a really brilliant play that doesn’t rely on bullshit motivational quotes; it actually speaks to real life. I give it 5/5 stars, and please check it out!

The joys of building a staircase.

A staircase is a crucial component in any home that has more than one story and it serves more than just the purpose of transporting a person from one level to the next. The railing must be able to prevent someone from falling over, the design should match the theme of the home, and one must consider the future when furniture or appliances need to be moved. In my design, I was stuck with putting the staircase in the middle of the living room as the structure of the house would be too expensive to change and there was no reasonable area the staircase could be moved to. With this in mind, I tried my best to make the railing nonintrusive, and blend into its surroundings. The problem with this was that the species of wood that was used must be light enough to be stained into a colour that matches its surroundings. This was no easy task as the curvature of the staircase required the railings to be made in separate strips then glued to form the same curve. What ended up happening was creating 200 individual strips of wood that were formed, clamped, then glue to become the shape of the staircase. Once this was done, the spindles were attached. The amount of time, effort, and care that went into creating this staircase and railing system was so not worth the minute increase in aesthetic function. If I were to do this again, I would keep the old railing and just paint them a new colour. Should anyone be considering redoing a staircase, I would say weigh all other alternatives before carrying through with this task.

Colour choices, why they matter.

If you have ever painted anything, you must have noticed that different colours cover different colours to a varying degree. This is not always obvious as people typically think darker bolder colours cover duller colours better but that is not always the case. I had the task of painting some doors and I chose to do it with a sprayer for a better finish and consistency. First, make sure you label the doors. Not all doors in a house are the same size nor do they swing in the same direction. This is crucial to aid in the ease of installation in the future. Next, make sure that there is enough room for air to move in the space you are working in. Water based paints dry fast however, they also release a lot of moisture. Lastly, make sure you pick a high hiding colour. Colours with tints of red, purple, or yellow are horrible at coverage. Typically, for any interior surface going a similar or close shade in the same tone family, two coats are more than enough to cover anything. However, I was using cloud white by Benjamin Moore, which has a slight yellow tint. This caused me to do 6 coats and even then, it wasn’t 100% perfect. When choosing colours, make sure to ask the paint store to add a few drops of black to enhance coverage. The small amount of tint won’t be noticeable in the final product but will make a world in difference when it comes to hiding ability.

How not to hang a chandelier

  • Testing
  • Don’t Fall

Hanging a chandelier is always a daunting task. Between trying to not drop the chandelier, to not falling off the ladder, it seems to be something that is never safe. I don’t know why but it seems that chandeliers are never a good idea. They are always big and heavy, and the only place they fit in is somewhere that is very high off the ground and often without access. Since our railings were removed in preparation for the flooring and new railings, I decided to install the chandelier. Since the light was going in a place that would be difficult to access, I decided to install it in a room with easy access so that I can make sure that the light was working properly. After installing and testing the piece, I had the task of figuring out how to access the electrical box where the light was supposed to go. Since I didn’t have any scaffolding, I took two pieces of lumber that we had yet to use, and a couple of planks of vinyl flooring, and away I went with my task. I have never realized how much stability dimensional lumber does not have when it is on edge. Having done this, I will say to anyone that is interested in doing something in a dangerous manner to save time, don’t. It is not worth the risk and getting hurt would delay your project far more than the time it takes to go out and get scaffolding. The final point is, always test things before installation and completion, and go the extra mile for safety and security.

New Artist: Emanuel

Week 12: Blog Post

emanuel canadian artist signed tomotown idris elba

Photo Credit: Matt Barnes

Emanuel is a Canadian R&B artist who released his debut EP back in June 2020. His EP Alt Therapy Session 1: Disillusion features songs about relationships, drugs, sex, and self-reflection; he is able to capture all of this through four songs, in which one is a remix.

Emanuel’s R&B sound is refreshing and different. I would describe it as a soft poetic R&B sound.

The very first song I heard from this album was, Thought It’d Be Easy which is a sad and honest song. In this song Emanuel sings about how it is difficult to move on and forget about someone, and the vulnerability in his voice makes the song much more relatable. His voice is accompanied by a slow tempo that adds to the emotion of the song. The song also presents a message about how you may never be clean, meaning you can do everything to try and forget someone, but you may never be clean of that person.

Need You is a song that I find difficult to describe, but I think UMUSIC describes it perfectly as they say “Emanuel progresses towards, and ultimately descends into a state of disillusionment as the elation from the hope of meaningful human connection in Need You.” Although Thought It’d Be Easy is a song I can personally relate to, I think Need You is the best song on the album.

Addiction is a song about drugs and sex, it’s about feeling good for a moment. The song looks at addiction and how being high or drunk is better than being sober because it makes you feel good. The song makes a comparison between a plane going down and running out of drugs, I believe the song is trying to say that a crashing plane is just as bad as being sober. In this way I think this song is lyrically well-written and very deep.

I highly recommend listening to his EP, Alt Therapy Session 1: Disillusion. Emanuel has a refreshing R&B sound accompanied with very meaningful lyrics, and this combination makes for great music. Checkout his music on YouTube and Spotify.

Book Review: They Both Die at the End

I thought the title of this book would prepare me for the ending. I was wrong. They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera takes place in a world where Death Cast calls you on the day you will die. There is nothing you can do to change this, just decide how you want to live your last day. Both Mateo and Rufus got the call, and they both unfortunately will have to spend their last days alone, without their friends and family. They come together to try and live an adventure on the last day of their lives.

I thought the writing and the plot of this story was great, and I started to care so deeply for the main characters, Mateo and Rufus. It’s hard to get attached to characters when you know they’re gonna die, but they were very well written. The book was written so well I felt that I could visualize everywhere they went, imagining what every setting looked like.

Even though the title of this book is a spoiler in itself, the real plot of the book is the journey along the way. It’s not focused on death, but instead on how they live. With that said, this book hit me hard, and I finished it at 2:00 am and had to have a good cry. It made me think about my life, my loved ones, and how I would spend my last day. I would still warn everyone to have tissues on hand during the reading of this book.

If you’re up for it, I would highly recommend this book. It’s such a great story, and such a great piece to make you think. What would you do on your last day? Would you tell your friends or sneak away to live one last day?

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3 Things I Do When I Feel Like Giving Up

Blog Post #12

I am sure we’ve all felt like giving up at one point or another in life. If I had to describe what giving up feels like in a few words I’d say it is when in a specific moment you think you can’t do something any longer because you are mentally and physically exhausted. The photo above is of a hike that I did with my friends this past summer and I can say that numerous times during this hike I had thoughts about giving up and going back to my car. I am going to share a few tips and tricks that I use when I feel like quitting.

Most of the time if I can win the mental battle that I fight with myself before giving up I can find a way to succeed. There are a few strategies that I have learned over the years to overcome failure. I will be sharing three main startegies today.

(1) Distract yourself with something

Usually, when I go for runs and feel like giving up I distract myself with thoughts, future events, the things I am going to do after my run to direct my attention elsewhere. So that I don’t have time to say “I am tired”, “I give up”, “I want to stop.” I have been using this strategy not only for running but also for when I’m doing other everyday tasks.

(2) Envision your goals

When you are able to envision your goals it becomes easier to reach the finish line. For example, I make to-do lists when I’m feeling unmotivated to finish a task. Personally, the reward of finishing tasks for me is when I get to cross off everything from my to-do list. It gives me a sense of satisfaction and achievement which keeps me going.

(3) Find your role model

This one is a big one for me and has positively influenced my actions. Role models are pivotal for self-development as they create a standard to strive for (Fayyaz, 2018). A role model can be anyone who you look up to, inspires you, and encourages you to do better.

References

Fayyaz, N. (2018, September 29). Why role models are important. DAWN.COM. https://www.dawn.com/news/1435581#:%7E:text=Positive%20role%20models%20influence%20our, the%20most%20of%20our%20life.&text=Role%20models%20are%20a%20must, for%20or%20compare%20ourselves%20with.

Mini Assignment #6

Automated Smart Blinds

For my project I chose to install automated blinds by Hunter Douglas. This decision was made to increase blind longevity, convenience, and smart home capabilities. Blinds usually fail quickly due to user error. From pulling too hard, too fast, or the wrong way, strings fray, fabrics fail, and blinds ultimately do not last as long as they should. As this project was designed with longevity and convenience in mind, I decided to use automate blinds. These are battery powered and do not require any electrical work, and the hub runs on WIFI allowing me to use if this then that, on anything in the house. These blinds also integrate two blinds into one by having a blackout layer and a room darkening layer.

2021 Releases I Can’t Wait to Read

2021 is looking like it’s going to be a great year for books. Here are five titles I can’t wait to read this year:

One of the Good Ones – Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite

When Kezi Smith dies after attending a social justice rally, her sister Happi is left in the aftermath. But when Kezi is immortalized as one of the “good ones”, Happi wonders why this is, as if only some people are worthy of being missed. Happi and her other sister, Genny, decide to honour Kezi in their own way.

This book was released in January, but I have not had a chance to read it yet. It looks very interesting and a great read for thinking about the after math of police brutality.

Happily Ever Afters – Elise Bryant

Tessa is a writer, and is accepted into a prestigious writing program. But when she needs to find herself, her friend suggests that she finds inspiration by following a list of romance novel inspired steps to find Prince Charming.

Another January release that I can’t wait to get my hands on, this looks like a fun rom-com book to enjoy.

You Have a Match – Emma Lord

Abby signs up for a DNA service thinking she won’t find anything new, until she discovers she has an older sister. To find out more about why her parents gave Savannah up for adoption, they meet up at a summer camp.

This is Emma Lord’s second book, and I loved her first book, Tweet Cute. This book is already a Reese’s YA Book Club selection, so I’m excited to read it. I’ve been on a waitlist to get it from the library for weeks now.

As Good as Dead – Holly Jackson

The third book in the series of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Pip is preparing to leave for university. But she has been receiving messages and death threats, and a stalker knows where she lives. She has to follow an investigation about herself to find out who is doing this to her.

I loved A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, so I can’t wait to continue reading the series in book 3. This book isn’t released until August, which will give me plenty of time to read book 2 as well.

You’ll Be the Death of Me – Karen M. McManus

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off with murder. When Ivy, Mateo, and Cal skip school, they think they’re in for a fun day. But then they come across another student skipping where they follow them to their murder. All three of them are now connected to this murder, and they are all hiding secrets.

I love every book Karen M. McNamus has released so far. Unfortunately I’ll have to wait to November to read this one.

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3 Reasons Why You Should Go Watch A Sunset

Blog post #11

I absolutely love watching sunsets it’s one of my all-time favorite things to do. I try to go to the beach at least once a week to reconnect with nature and feel rejuvenated. Sometimes it gets hard especially during an intense week of school but then I just have to decide what is more important. Is it studying or watching a breathtaking sunset view and it gets pretty easy to decide from there onwards. Just kidding.

Today I will be sharing three reasons why you should go watch a sunset:

(1) You get to go outside!

Going outside has amazing mental and physical health benefits some including lower blood pressure, stress reduction, decreased cancer risk, boost in mental health, etc (Loria, 2018). So, this is a win-win situation, you get to watch the sun go down and there are remarkable health benfits that come along with doing so.

(2) You will feel more energized

There is something about that time of day that just feels so magical. I truly believe that it is one of the most beautiful parts of a day. All the different colors in the sky, the clouds, birds in the air, the golden hour lighting give me so much positive energy to take home.

(3) Helps you build an appreciation for mother nature

Nature is an incredible natural phenomenon. Seeing the beauty of nature first-hand makes you want to protect it from getting destroyed by big corporations. As the global temperature rise, there is a major threat to the environment. So, the more we appreciate mother nature the stronger will the urge to protect it become.

References

Loria, K. (2018, April 22). Being outside can improve memory, fight depression, and lower blood pressure — here are 12 science-backed reasons to spend more time outdoors. Business Insider Nederland. https://www.businessinsider.com/why-spending-more-time-outside-is-healthy-2017-7#:~:text=Spending%20time%20in%20forests%2C%20hiking,bathing%22%20to%20 improve%20your%20health.

Are you content?

Blog post #10

I took this photo in early 2020 before the lockdown in Canada on my trip to India. My favorite part about traveling is definitely meeting new people. Although most of the time the interactions I have with people are very short but the impact is always long-lasting.

My family and I were visiting historical Gurdwaras in Punjab which is a state in India. As we were walking to the Gurdwara I saw this crippled man who had the biggest smile on his face. I saw a few teacups around him which meant he was being fed and others were helping him out. We gave him some money and in return, he folded his hands to show his gratitude. This photo captures the beautiful smile on his face expressing his appreciation.

Sometimes we have everything we need but still can’t find a moment of peace and appreciation. We always want the next best thing, better than the last thing and the cycle never ends. By doing this we forget to live in the present moment and lack gratitude. When I said that the moments I share with strangers are short but the impact lasts for a tremendous amount of time I meant that I always find something to reflect on in my own life which contributes to positive change. Contentment is about peaceful satisfaction, it is when you are grateful for what you have and where you are in life, rather than wishing things were different (Beard, 2019).

I am grateful for all the interactions I have with amazing people when I travel to places. What are you grateful for?

References

Beard, C. (2019, December 27). 7 Ways To Feel Content With Your Life Right Now. The Blissful Mind. https://theblissfulmind.com/feel-content-right-now/

Concert: Lauv

Week 11: Blog Post / Mini Assignment #6

Featured Image Credit: Bandwagon

Wave hands up and down, spin and blackout! And that’s a wrap on the mini assignments for the semester. This GIF represents fun and excitement, I would send it when discussing parties or concerts.

But I have more to say about the artist in this GIF.

This GIF is created from Lauv’s concert, which I attended back in 2018 at Fortune Sound Club. Lauv is a pop artist who is known for his hit song I Like Me Better. In this GIF he is performing that song. Although there is no sound in the GIF, through the lights and his actions you can see that it is a very upbeat and fun song. I think this GIF perfectly describes Lauv and his music.

However, Lauv’s songs range in variety. I Like Me Better is a fun and upbeat song but he also has songs like Sad Forever, which discusses depression and mental health. Through the lyrics in this song listeners can empathize with Lauv and understand what he is going through. Also in the song Lauv sings softly but fast and I think this fits perfectly with the message of the song, because mental illness can sometimes take away ones voice or make it super fast due to anxiety.

Here are a few other songs of his I enjoy, Paris In The Rain, I’m So Tired, Modern Loneliness, Easy Love, Breathe, The Story Never Ends, Getting Over You, Reforget , There’s No Way and Fake. Basically, what I’m saying is I like all of his songs.

It was a great concert and as I have said before smaller concerts like this are always a lot of fun!

Here is the full video of that clip that was used in the GIF:  

eReaders vs Books

When eReaders started to take the book world by storm, I swore that I would never get one. I loved reading actual books too much, feeling them in my hands and collecting them on my book shelf. My parents made the switch first, buying Kobo’s while I continued buying real books.

I am someone who does most of my reading on vacation, and I am a very fast reader. So I started to have the trouble of packing books in my suitcase and not weighing it down. Finally, after filling my suitcase as much as I could too many times, I decided to cave and buy an eReader.

I immediately fell in love with it. It’s so light, and I love how many books I can carry on it. I even got a waterproof Kobo, so I can sit in the pool, a hot tub, or the bath without worrying about dropping it in. I also started to borrow ebooks from the library, instead of buying books all the time. Although there was the initial high price of the eReader, I have saved so much money borrowing ebooks. I also love how I can do this without having to leave my house, I can get the library download for a book instantly, or join the waitlist to get it as soon as possible.

I do still own plenty of hardcopy books, and I won’t be getting rid of these any time soon. I maybe buy about one or two hardcopy books a year, especially if it’s a special book I know I want for a long time. But the eReader has completely changed the game for me, and I will never go back to only reading hard copy books all the time.

If you’ve been thinking of buying an eReader, consider this as a sign. Here is my favourite.

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Artist Progression: Taylor Swift

Week 10: Blog Post

Taylor Swift on Politics and Her Sundance Documentary 'Miss Americana' - Variety

Photo Credit: Mary Ellen Matthews for Variety

Taylor Swift is a very successful artist as many of us know. But why is she so successful?

Taylor Swift is not only a great musician and songwriter, but she is also a storyteller.

Taylor Swift started off as a country pop artist, she had released her debut album Taylor Swift in 2006 and quickly saw success. Then in 2008 with the release of her second album Fearless, she started to become a household name.  

Her album Fearless gave us hits like Love Story and You Belong With Me. You Belong With Me is said to be “one of the best selling singles worldwide.” Taylor Swift was successful at the start of her career because her songs were always honest and relatable.

Her song You Belong With Me, is a story that I think many people can relate to. It’s a story about liking someone and believing that, that person should be with you and not who they are currently with. Here are some lyrics from the song that describe this, She wears high heels / I wear sneakers / She’s Cheer Captain, and I’m on the bleachers /Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find/That what you’re looking for has been here the whole time.

Skipping ahead to her album Speak Now which was released in 2010, it continued to follow the country pop sound but what made it successful was the stories she told throughout these songs. Taylor also has this very soft and whimsical voice that helps listeners feel the emotion in her songs. Taylor Swift has a light-lyric Soprano voice type. Her album Speak Now also had successful hits like Mean, and Sparks Fly. However, my personal favorite is Dear John.

This song is about the relationship she had with John Mayer. Dear John is a honest and vulnerable song, and this song demonstrates that Taylor Swift is not afraid to sing about the truth even when it’s sad and ugly. I think this is why listeners enjoy her music.

Here are some descriptive lyrics from the song where Taylor discusses this toxic relationship she was in, You are an expert at sorry /And keeping the lines blurry /Never impressed by me acing your tests /All the girls that you’ve run dry /Have tired, lifeless eyes / Cause you burned them out /But I took your matches before fire could catch me, /So don’t look now, I’m shining like fireworks over your sad, empty town.

Next is her album Red which was released in 2012. Taylor Swift slowly starts to move away from country to more pop music. Her sound changes, as her songs switch over to an allegro tempo (fast) and are more upbeat. Her voice also gets rough in this album. Songs like I Knew You Were Trouble and Red, were hits. With Red, I especially liked how she added colors to certain emotions, as this creates imagery in the listener’s mind.

Then came her album 1989 in 2014. This was a pop album which was accompanied “by heavy synthesizers, programmed drums and process backing vocals.” She had number one singles like Shake It Off, Blank Space and Bad Blood. This refreshing new pop sound and her story telling skills, grasped people emotionally.

Her next album was Reputation which came out in 2017. She changed her sound and style in this album but still continued to produce stories in her songs. Songs like Look What You Made Me Do, Delicate and Endgame, felt like storylines to movies. Then came her album Lover in 2019, which was the complete opposite of Reputation.

Her most current album releases were Folklore and Evermore which were both released in 2020. Folklore is an amazing album lyrically. Her soft voice and slower tempos return. Her song My Tears Ricochet demonstrated that Taylor is a talented songwriter and storyteller. The lyrics, You wear the same jewels that I gave you / As you bury me, are assumed to be referring to her songs (jewels) that her previous record label still owns and she discusses this pain. This is great song writing because she is able to disguise these problems in stories and tell them through songs. Songs like The 1, Cardigan, Illicit Affairs, Exile, Hoax, This Is Me Trying and Mad Woman, are all great songs lyrically. Her album Evermore is similar to Folklore and songs like Tolerate It and No Body, No Crime are also great songs lyrically. The song No Body, No Crime feels like a murder mystery movie. Taylor Swift is a successful artist and as discussed through this progression I think she continues to be successful because she is a talented song-writer, and each album I discussed was a progression from the last lyrically.

The things we take for granted

Blog post #9

This photograph was captured on my trip to India in March 2020. I believe that every picture has its own story and that everybody interprets it differently. When I look at this picture above, I could personally only think of two ways that one could possibly look at it. The first being, a picture of a little girl holding balloons, and the second being, of a little girl selling balloons. Now you may wonder which one of these two possibilities is true.

Sadly, this picture is of a little who can’t be more than 10 years old selling balloons to people. When I took this picture I didn’t really think about anything at all. All I saw was a cute little girl holding balloons and I thought I’d take her photo. Once I had taken her photo I immediately searched for my family who was ahead of me at that moment so ran to catch up with them. Reflecting back at this moment, I wish I had bought all of her balloons and treated her with some ice cream because she definitely deserves it. I wish I had talked to her, bought her new clothes, listened to her story, met her family. I wish I didn’t carry this regret of not doing anything to help her with me every time I looked at this photo.

I’m glad about one thing for sure though. This little girl is only a few steps away from Sri Harmandir Sahib also known as the Golden Temple which is also the world’s largest free kitchen. This free kitchen is also known as Langar in the Sikh faith. Langar is served not only at the Golden temple but at every Sikh Gurdwara around the world. It is completely free of cost and Sikhs do not discriminate against any religion, caste, gender, economic status, or ethnicity (“Langar (Sikhism)”, 2021). So, knowing that this little girl will never sleep on an empty stomach is comforting.

I will forever be grateful for the privileged life that I live. I am able to go to school and get an education which many children like this little girl don’t receive. It breaks my heart to see her working at such a young age. I hope that one day in the near future I get a chance to go back to Sri Harmandir Sahib so I can find this little girl and pay for her education.

References

Devashrayee, N. R. A. R. (2017, April 11). Inside the World’s Largest Free Kitchen. Vice. https://www.vice.com/en/article/ypx47x/inside-the-worlds-largest-free-kitchen

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, April 1). Langar (Sikhism). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langar_(Sikhism)

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, March 31). Golden Temple. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Temple

Book Review: 11/22/63

This book is much different than the other books I have been reviewing on this site, but this is my favourite book I have ever read. 11/22/63 is by Stephen King, but don’t let that fool you. I can’t handle horror at all, I would instead categorize this book as a historical, science-fiction, thriller love story. I was interested in this book in the first place because I had heard such great things about King’s writing, but I could never handle any of his most popular books like It, The Shining, or Pet Semetary.

The story focuses on Jake Epping, a high school English teacher. One day his friend Al who owns a diner tells him a secret, his storage room is a portal to 1958. Jake goes on a mission to stop the Kennedy assassination. He goes undercover as George Amberson, and jumps right into the late 1950s and early 1960s. While there he meets a librarian named Sadie, who may be the love of his life. What follows is his adventures trying to stop Lee Harvey Oswald from killing JFK, and dealing with the affects of changing anything in the past and what it will do to his future.

This book is not a light summer read by any means, the hardcover copy is almost 850 pages. But don’t let that scare you off. I truly think this is a terrific book, and I recommend it to all of my friends (even though none of them have taken me up on it yet). If you have the time to settle into a longer book, I highly recommend this. The plot of the book is well worth the long page count.

If this hasn’t convinced you, there is also a TV miniseries that was created starring James Franco. I have yet to see it, but it looks great and I will one day watch it.

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DKT MUSIC

Week 9: Blog Post / Mini Assignment #5

This infographic explains through text and graphics what you will find on the DKT MUSIC site. I created this infographic in Canva, and the reason I did not match this infographic to the color scheme of my website is because I liked this color scheme better, as the blue color scheme in Canva did not look good with this template.  

Through this infographic you learn that this site deals with different aspects of music.            

YOU GET:

Remix Assignment

Week 8: Blog Post / Mini Assignment #4

Bruno Mars 24K Magic album cover (Original)

Photo Credit: Atlantic Records

Bruno Mars 24K Magic album cover (Remix)

I decided to remix this album cover since Bruno Mars has recently blessed us with new music. Go listen to his new track with Anderson .Paak and Silk Sonic called Leave the Door Open, it is a sexy slow jam that everyone needs to listen to!

Here is a little bit more about Bruno Mars.

Bruno Mars was meant to be a performer, he can keep audiences on their feet. Literally I never sat down when I attended his concert, I also believe he did not take any long breaks but kept performing.

Bruno Mars is an artist that does a bit of everything in terms of genres. He has given us pop, R&B, soul and funk hits. With his dynamic voice and sound, Bruno can create songs that are mood boosters, like Perm, but he can also make listeners emotional with tracks like It Will Rain. Side note: It Will Rain is not on the 24K Magic album but Perm is.

His songs vary in tempos but his upbeat and lively songs are usually considered to be a allegro tempo, and this fast tempo accompanied by lyrics like “Throw some perm on your attitude” ,and “Matter of fact, band, show her how to lay it back!”(from his track Perm on the 24K Magic album), make listeners want to get up and move.